As horse owners and lovers I think one of the things that attracts us to them is their huge beautiful eyes 👀
People often refer to horses as having a ‘kind’ eye and most of us know that seeing the ‘whites’ of the eye means a horse may be frightened or scared.
But how much do you really know about your horse’s eyes❓
Read MoreToday I wanted to share a little about the horse’s skin and some of the reasons it is important to me as an Equine Massage Therapist.
The skin can tell me a lot about your horse. I will consider several factors when treating including:
▪️Look ▪️ Pliability ▪️ Texture ▪️ Temperature ▪️ Thickness ▪️ Hair Damage ▪️ Scar Tissue ▪️ Swelling
Read MoreI often visit horses that suffer from Edema.
Usually this is in the legs, also known as ‘filled legs or ‘stocking up’
Edema can also sometimes be seen under the midline (belly) of your horse, around the sheath in geldings/stallions and can also be seen in the jaw/cheeks.
Read MoreAs a soft tissue therapist that works mainly with my hands I am only able to work on the superficial structures.
▪️Scarring from any type of invasive surgical procedure is not only going to be superficial, there will inevitably be damage to deeper internal structures.
Read MoreDid you know…….. your horse has 7 Cervical Vertebrae just like we do as a humans❓
Dogs and cats also have Cervical Vertebrae and all of us have much shorter necks than the horse 🐶 🐱
Cervical Vertebrae are the bones that make up the length of the neck.
The horse has huge individual bones with thin fibrous discs in-between ⭕️
Read MoreMy goal as an equine therapist is not only to assess your horse, detect soft tissue restrictions and treat them, but also to help YOU as an owner/rider/trainer by empowering you with the knowledge and some of the skills you need to help your horse be the best versions of themselves they can be.
Read MoreEver since I attended the Horses Inside Out Anatomy In Action Conference in January 2020 I have been eagerly awaiting Gillian Higgins’ release of the Anatomy In Action book and online course.
So when the book actually arrived on my doorstep and the email in my inbox to say the online course was ready to access, I could barely contain my excitement!
Read MoreThis week I was excited to join Gillian Higgin’s latest webinar – Pilates For Horses.
As many of you know I am a huge fan of Gillian’s and share many of her values which I continue to share with my clients.
Read MoreHere we have a case study of Sammy.
Sammy is a rising 3 year old Traditional Cob.
Earlier this year Sammy starting showing signs of a locking stifle in the left hind and a sticky stifle in the right hind.
Both of these terms are also known as Upward Fixation of the Patella.
Read MoreIn the images you will see Paddy 🐎
Paddy is an ex-racehorse 🏇
He is 12 years old and raced up until the age of 10.
He had a long career despite not always finishing in the top 3 🏆
I have been treating him and assisting in his training both groundwork and ridden since his owner purchased him in summer 2019.
Read MoreTopline
You have most likely heard people talk about Topline and how your horse should probably have more of it?
❓But what is Topline?
❓Why is it important?
❓And how can we help our horses develop it?
Read MoreMy Horse Is So Flexible In The Field.......Why Are They So Stiff When I Ride Them?
I was discussing with a client today (I am sure she won't mind me sharing) how her instructor was able to get so much more from her horse than she was.
I told her this was nothing to be ashamed of.
Read MoreTonight was the second in a new series of live webinars from Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out.
I have been really looking forward to this one especially after how well presented and full of information the last webinar was.
If you missed ‘Understanding the horse’s back’ last month you can find out more at my blog here.
Read MoreOne area of tension I commonly find on horses I am treating is the foreleg extensor muscles.
These are the ones at the top of the forelegs on the front of the leg (see image for the arrows pointing to them on my young horse Eric)
Clients are often surprised when I tell them that their horse has tight forelegs, as it’s not an area many consider.
Read MoreMost joints in the horses body are able to work independently from one another.
However in the hind limb there is a special arrangement of muscles, tendons and ligaments which mean that the Stifle and Hock move together, mirroring one another 🔁
This is called the Reciprocal system.
Read MoreI have a few client’s horses that I am treating at the moment that have a distinct lack of muscle tone or muscle atrophy for various reasons ❗️
What can we do to help?
Read MoreOver the last few months, due to the effects of COVID-19 many businesses have had to adapt to new ways of delivering their service, including those that usually hold live demos or in person training.
When I discovered that Gillian Higgins from Horses Inside Out was going to be releasing a series of webinars I was so excited.
Read MoreGorgeous Finn enjoying his monthly maintenance massage today ♥️
In this photo I am treating his hind legs.
Sometimes people are surprised when I start using massage and myofascial therapy to the legs but for me it is so important.
Read MoreI have been really lucky in the last few months to be invited to treat some beautiful retired and older horses ♥️
I love it when owners want to help keep their 'golden oldies' as comfortable and as mobile as possible in their retirement days, despite no longer being 'useful' as riding horses these guys have often given years of service to us and deserve the very best in their final years 🙏🏻
Read MoreThere a many massage devices on the market nowadays that are accessible to horse owners 👍🏻
This is fantastic as it allows horse owners to treat their horses to the various types of Massage Therapy at any time, and I absolutely recommended treating your horse to regular use of any of these devices (bearing in mind contraindications to massage - you can learn more about these on my website or contact your therapist or vet for advice) 📞 💻
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